When the city of Greeley began exploring the potential of acquiring the Terry Ranch aquifer, there were critical questions that had to be answered.
Among them: What’s the quality of the roughly 1.2 million acre feet of water stored in the underground vault? Are there metals or other minerals present that will cause problems in treatment, affecting taste and quality of the water delivered to Greeley customers? Can any metals or other minerals present be treated? What happens if the city, as it would intend fully to do, recharges the aquifer with water from other sources; could that water, of slightly different makeup than the native water, leach minerals from the walls of the aquifer while being stored underground? What happens when the water from the aquifer flows through Greeley pipes? And is this cost-effective relative to other options for the city’s future water supply?
